Truck Accident Injuries

Truck Accident Injury Attorneys

When’s the last time you played a game of I Spy while travelling on the highway? “I Spy a big rig” would probably be shouted at least 20 times. With more consumers buying products online, the demand for commercial truck drivers has increased tenfold. And this trend is expected to continue.

The chances of getting into an accident with one of these road warriors is just as high as your chances of getting into an accident with a regular-sized car. Their sheer size and weight means your injuries will most likely be terribly severe, if not deadly.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, with a big truck or automobile, you may be angry, frustrated and in immense pain. The Birmingham attorneys of Pittman, Dutton & Hellums have successfully represented hundreds of Alabama residents in personal injury cases. We understand the toll that any accident can have, not just on your body, but on your quality of life.

While it’s true auto insurance was created to help cover medical expenses and property damage in any kind of car crash, the settlement amount offered by insurance companies often falls short of the total costs of recovery. This is especially true in collisions with commercial trucks, where injuries can impact a person for a lifetime.

How Are Truck Accidents Different Than Car Accidents?

The two main factors that distinguish accidents between passenger cars from collisions with large trucks have to do with the comparative size of the vehicles involved and who bears liability.

The average big rig is between 45-53 ft. long, 13 ft. high and 96 ft. wide. Fully loaded, they weigh around 80,000 pounds. The average car is about 17 ft. long, 6 ¼ ft. wide, 5 ft. high and weighs about 3,000 pounds.

A commercial truck needs about 350 feet to come to a complete stop. A car stopped at a shorter distance is bound to be crushed by the oncoming weight of the larger vehicle. The laws of physics always win.

Liability can be even trickier to establish. The truck driver and the company they work for may be held liable for your injuries. An experienced trucking accident attorney will conduct a thorough investigation of both the driver involved and the trucking company in question when building your case.

5 Common Truck Accident Injuries

Truck accident injuries tend to be grim. If you have courageously survived a truck collision, chances are your injuries will take considerable time to recover from.

Any time you are involved in or witness a truck accident, please seek medical attention immediately. Even if you feel fine at the time, many injuries – such as soft tissue neck injuries – can take days for symptoms to fully manifest after an accident.

Below are 5 common injuries truck accident victims sustain:

Head Injuries – Traumatic brain injuries occur when blunt force impacts the head. The injury may be closed, or flying debris can penetrate the skull resulting in an open head injury. Some head injuries are mild, causing headaches, confusion and nausea. Symptoms of severe head injuries can include loss of consciousness, internal bleeding, long term cognitive impairment, and personality changes.

Broken Bones – Due to the size and weight of the truck, multiple fractures are typical in truck accidents. Shattered femurs and crushed clavicles require several weeks of healing and physical therapy to return full mobility.

Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis – Damage to the spinal cord and its associated nerves isn’t always readily apparent, but the damage they cause can be present for a lifetime. A complete MRI after an accident will reveal if and to what extent the spinal cord has been damaged after a collision with a truck.

Back and Neck Injuries – The force of impact from a car accident can cause a herniated disc, pinched nerve, or complete spinal compression. Not only are these injuries painful, they can immobilize you for weeks. Soft tissue injuries to neck and upper back include swelling and discomfort.

Death – Unexpectedly losing a loved one is a tragedy that alters the quality of our lives forever. Crashes with commercial trucks are 10 times more likely to result in fatality than collisions with passenger cars.

How a Truck Accident Attorney Can Help You

Given the severity of injuries incurred in a trucking accident, it’s unlikely that a settlement from an insurance company will cover the total lifetime cost of the damages. Insurance companies tend to apply a standard formula when calculating settlement offers, one that takes into account the company’s needs over an individual’s.

In addition, it’s unlikely that a truck accident victim is in the proper state of mind to go up against those whose negligence caused theses injuries. No one is truly at their best when they’re suffering from the pain and heartbreak a truck accident can cause.

For over a decade the, attorneys of Pittman, Dutton & Hellums, tried more cases in the state of Alabama than most other plaintiff’s firms. We are committed to assisting the injured and helping restore justice to those who have been harmed by the negligence of others. Some of our past victories include:

$900,000 verdict for a client hit by a concrete truck on Highway 280

More than $10,000,000 in a confidential settlement for a client injured in a big rig accident

$420,000 verdict for injuries sustained in a rear-end collision on the interstate

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, we’d like to assist in your healing process both physically and financially. We offer free case evaluations and contingency based services at no obligation to you.

To learn more about your legal options, please reach out to us today using the form on this page, or call us at (866) 515-8880.

Facts About Our Firm

Firm founding: 1986

Nationwide representation:

We have represented individuals in all 50 states

Recovered over $820 million on behalf of our clients

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